Kushinagar

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This article is about a town. For the information related to district : Kushinagar District

Kushinagar

city
Kushinagar
Kushinagar
Kushinagar is located in Uttar Pradesh KushinagarKushinagar
Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates: 26.741N 83.888ECoordinates: 26.741N 83.888E
CountryIndia
State

Uttar Pradesh

District Kushinagar
Government
District Magistrate

Lokesh M

Population (2011)
Total 17,983
Languages
Official

Hindi

Time zone

IST (UTC+5:30)

Website

www.kushinagar.nic.in

Kushinagar (Hindi:

, Urdu:

, Kusinagar or Kusinara ) is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in

Kushinagar district of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh located around NH-28, being 52 km east to
Gorakhpur city. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha
attained Parinirvana after his death.[1] Nearest towns to Kushinagar are Kasia, Hata, Padrauna, Deoria
and Fazilnagar.

Contents [hide]
1 Demographics
2 Ancient history
3 Visits by the Buddha to Kushinagar
4 Parinirvana Temple
5 Initiatives by the District Administration
6 Institutions in Kushinagar
6.1 Governmental Institutes
6.2 Other Institutes
7 Medical institutions and hospitals in Kushinagar
8 Important places to visit
9 References
10 External links
Demographics[edit]
As of 2011 India census, Kushinagar had a population of 17,983[2] with 2454 households. Males
constitute 52% (9408 Men) of the population and females 48% (8575 Women). Kushinagar has an
average literacy rate of 74%, almost equal to the national average of 74%: male literacy is 86%, and
female literacy is 61%. In Kushinagar, 11% of the population is under 10 years of age.

Ancient history[edit]

Ancient Indian (Bharata) cities and Places(Title and location names are in English.)

In ancient times, it was known as Kushavati (Jatakas). It finds mention in epic Ramayan as the city of
Kusha the son of Ram, the famous king of Ayodhya. Kushinagar was a celebrated center of the Malla
kingdom of ancient India. Later, it would be known as Kushinara, one of the most important four holy
sites for Buddhists. At this location, near the Hiranyavati River, Gautama Buddha attained
Mahaparinirvana (or 'Final Nirvana') after falling ill from eating a meal of a species of mushroom.

Many of the ruined stupas and viharas here date back to 3rd century BCE - 5th century CE when
prosperity was at its peak. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka is known to have contributed to significant
construction at this site.

Prior to its rediscovery in the 19th century, there was a silence of more than half a millennium at Kasia.
Due to violent invasions, Kushinagar lost its vitality and eventually was neglected.

Visits by the Buddha to Kushinagar[edit]

During the time of the Buddha, Kushinagar was the capital of the Mallas, and the scene of the Buddha's
last breath before Mahaparinirvana. It was twenty-five yojanas from Rajagaha (DA.ii.609; acc. to Fa
Hsien, p. 40, it was twenty-four yojanas from Kapilavatthu) and lay on the high road from Alaka to
Rjagaha, the road taken by Bvar's disciples (SN.v.1012). At that time it was a small city, "a branchtownship with wattle-and-daub houses in the midst of the jungle," and Ananda was, at first,
disappointed that the Buddha should have chosen it for his Parinibbana. But the Buddha, by preaching
the Maha-Sudassana Sutta, pointed out to him that in ancient times it had been Kusavati, the royal city
of Maha-Sudassana (D.ii.146).

It is said that the Buddha had three reasons for coming to Kusinr to die:

Because it was the proper venue for the preaching of the Mah-Sudassana Sutta;
Because Subhadda would visit him there and, after listening to his sermon, would develop meditation
and become an arahant while the Buddha was still alive; and
Because the brahman Doha would be there, after the Buddha's death, to solve the problem of the
distribution of his relics (UdA.402f; DA.ii.573f6).
Between Kusinara and Pava, three gavutas (c. 15 km (9.3 mi)) away (DA.ii.573) - from where the Buddha
came to Kusinra on his last journey from Rajagaha, stopping at various places - lay the stream of
Kakuttha on the banks of which was the Ambavana; beyond that was the Hiraavati river, and near the

city, in a south-westerly direction, lay the Upavattana, the Sala-grove of the Mallas, which the Buddha
made his last resting-place (UdA.238; DA.ii.572f).

After Mahaparinirvana the body was carried into the city by the southern gate and out of the city by the
eastern gate; to the east of the city was Makutabandhana, the shrine of the Mallas, and there the body
was cremated. For seven days those assembled at the ceremony held a festival in honour of the relics
(D.ii.160f).

Pilgrimage to
Buddha's
Holy Sites
Dharma Wheel.svg
The Four Main Sites
Lumbini Bodh Gaya
Sarnath Kushinagar
Four Additional Sites
Sravasti Rajgir
Sankissa Vaishali
Other Sites
Pataliputra Gaya Kosambi
Kapilavastu Devadaha
Kesariya Pava
Nalanda Varanasi
Later Sites
Sanchi Mathura Ellora
Ajanta Vikramshila Ratnagiri
Udayagiri Lalitgiri Bharhut

Barabar Caves Pandavleni Caves

vte
Kusinara became one of the four holy places declared by the Buddha (in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (ii.
140) ) to be fit places of pilgrimage for the pious, the other three being Kapilavatthu (near Lumbini),
Buddhagaya (Bodh Gaya), and Isipatana (Sarnath) (D.ii.140).

Buddha's cremation stupa, Kushinagar.

Mention is made of other visits paid to Kusinr by the Buddha, prior to Mahaparinirvana. Thus, once he
went there from pana and having spent some time at Kusinr, proceeded to tum. The Mallas of
Kusinr were always great admirers of the Buddha, even though not all of them were his followers, and
on the occasion of this visit they decided that any inhabitant of Kusinr who failed to go and meet the
Buddha and escort him to the city, would be fined five hundred. It was on this occasion that Roja the
Mallan was converted and gave to the Buddha and the monks a supply of green vegetables and pastries
(Vin.i.247f). During some of these visits the Buddha stayed in a wood called Baliharana, and there he
preached two of the Kusinr Suttas (A.i.274f; v.79f) and the "Kinti" Sutta (M.ii.238f). A third Kusinr
Sutta he preached while staying at Upavattana. (A.ii.79; for another discourse to some noisy monks at
Upavattana, see Ud.iv.2).

According to a late tradition, one-eighth of the Buddha's relics were deposited in a cairn in Kusinr and
honoured by the Mallas (D.ii.167; Bu.xxviii.3).

In Hiouen Thsang's day there still existed towers and Sarighrmas erected to mark the spots connected
with the Buddha's last days and obsequies at Kusinr. According to his account (Beal. op. cit.li. lii. n)
Kusinr was nineteen yojanas from Vesli. A copper plate belonging to the thpa erected at the site of
the Buddha's death has recently been discovered (CAGI.i.714).

Parinirvana Temple[edit]

The Parinirvana Temple with the Parinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar

The remains of the Parinirvana Stupa and Parinirvana Temple, when rediscovered, were covered in a 40
foot high mound of bricks surrounded by a dense thorny forest. After E. Buchanan, an officer of the East

India Company, arrived in Kasia in the course of his survey-work; H. H. Wilson, in 1854, made the
suggestion that ancient Kushinagar and Kasia were the same. Work resumed around 18611862 when
Alexander Cunningham, the founder of the Archaeological Survey of India suggested the site to be that
of Gautama Buddha's decease. A British officer named Mr. A. C. L. Carlleyle followed suit. Excavations
began in the early twentieth century under J. Ph. Vogel.[3] He conducted archaeological campaigns in
19045, 19056 and 19067, uncovering a wealth of Buddhist materials. Although no decisive evidence
was found to prove Cunninghams supposition that the site known at Mth kr k Ko was Kushinr,
a series of monastic seals with the Sanskrit legend mahparinirvne cturdio bhikusagha were
taken to show that by the late Gupta period the site was understood to be that of the Buddha's final
passing.

Stupa ruins in Kushinagar.

Buddha Relic Distribution Site

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Initiatives by the District Administration[edit]

1. In 2012 the Buddha Relic Distribution Site has been added as a new pilgrim spot on the Kushinagar
Tourist Map. The site is located in Village Anirudhawa, at a walking distance from the main
Mahaparinirvana Temple and 50 meters, right behind the Thai Temple.

2. The same year the Buddha Ghat was constructed on the banks of the river HiranyavatiBuddha was
cremated on its bankright behind the Ramabhar Stupa.

3. The same year work also started on The Buddha's Last Meal site at Pavanagar, village Satheeau,
Fazilnagar, about 20 km before Kushinagar while approaching from Bihar. This is the spot where as per
the Mahaparinirvana Suttra, Chunda the goldsmith offered Sukar-maddava, eating which the lord
became sick.

4. In 2012 work also started at the Kakuttha River, Buddha took his last bath in this river. This is on the
Main National Highway 28 at a bridge while approaching Kushinagar from Bihar after the Buddha's Last
Meal site.

5. Pampor Stupa. In April 2013 a new Buddhist site was excavated at Village Pampor. The excavation
revealed the remains of an old Buddhist Stupa. Rahul Sanskrityan the legendary Buddhist scholar from
India is said to have identified Pampor as the famed Pava Kingdom of ancient India. Some decorated
bricks were discovered from the site which has been handed over to the local museum at Kushinagar.

Institutions in Kushinagar[edit]
Kushinagar has made a lot of progress in education in recent times. Since last decade - dozens of private
and governmental institutes have been launched at this little town. Here is a list of all educational
institutes at Kushinagar:

Governmental Institutes[edit]
Buddha Post Graduate College, Kushinagar
Buddha Intermediate College, Kushinagar
Other Institutes[edit]
Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Kasia, Kushinagar

Rahul Public School, Kushinagar

Buddha Central Academy, Kasia, Kushinagar
Swargiya Foolmati Devi Kushinagar Public School, Kushinagar
Linh-Son Buddhist Intermediate College, Kushinagar
Gyanlok College for Government Services, Kushinagar
Nav Jeevan Mission School, Kasia, Kushinagar.
Medical institutions and hospitals in Kushinagar[edit]
There are two governmental and several private hospitals and clinics available at Kushinagar and Kasia.
The popular ones are:

Governmental Aayurvedic Hospital, Mahaparinirvana Temple road

Buddha National Hospital, NH 28
Government Hospital, Kasia
al-Shifa Medical College, Kasia
Vartika Medical Center, Kasia
Important places to visit[edit]

Buddha Parinirvana; near the Mahaparinirvana Temple

Mahaparinirvana Temple and Stupas
Linh Son Temple
Thai Temple
Ramkola Satiansuiya Temple
Govt. Buddha Museum Kushinagar: The significance of the holy place Kushinagar inspired several
countries and organisations to put-up their religious and cultural edifices and Kushinagar gradually
ushered into a spot of global attraction. The proposal was mooted by department of Culture, Goverment
of U.P. to found a museum for preserving the archaeological wealth from the region and the present
building came in to existence in 199293. Remnants from the Mesolithic period to the collectibles of
later period are displayed here. The museum reveals the art, culture and historical facts of ancient India.

The nucleus of the collection represents sculpture, terracotta, architectural remains, bronzes, clay seals,
thankas and coins. Among the sculptures the museum has a good collection of Mathura and Gandhara
schools of art. A large number of artifacts are on display in four galleries. Besides Buddha artifacts, some
Hindu and Jain antiquities are also on view. The stucco statue of Lord Buddha in the meditation posture
is a superb specimen. It represents the zenith of Gandhara school of art. The beautifully decorated
votive stupas and bricks are also on view. The museum is at the developing stage and efforts are being
made to collect the artifacts from different places and institutions. In this series recently museum
acquired a large number of valuable antiquities from Rahul Sankrityayan Sansthan and District
administratation Kushinagar.
Surya Mandir Turkpatti, Kushinagar
References[edit]
A Literary History of Deoria & Kushinagar by Prof.(Dr.) M.A. Lari Azad (USM 1998 Ghaziabad)

Jump up ^ W. Owen Cole, Peggy Morgan Six Religions in the Twenty-First Century 2000 - Page 204
"Kushinara. Here, near modern Kasia in Uttar Pradesh, is the site of the Buddha's death. A temple
commemorates the Buddha's final ..."
Jump up ^ Census of India: Population Finder,
http://censusindia.gov.in/PopulationFinder/View_Village_Population.aspx?pcaid=1249&category=N.P.
Jump up ^ J. Ph. Vogel, Some Buddhist Monasteries in Ancient India, Journal of the Ceylon branch of
the Royal Asiatic Society 1 (1950): pp. 27-32
External links[edit]
Official Photo Gallery of Kushinagar
Entry on Kusinara (Kushinagar) in the Dictionary of Pali Proper Names
Photos of Kushinagar ruins and stupas
Photos of Kushinagar
Kushinagar Travel Guide Kushinagar Photo Gallery, Temples At Kushinagar
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kushinara.
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Categories: Cities and towns in Kushinagar districtBuddhist pilgrimagesAncient Indian citiesBuddhist holy
sitesStupas in IndiaArchaeological monuments in Uttar PradeshBuddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh
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